Corey Esannason, a former AFTD Ambassador, emphasized the need for self-care for FTD care partners and shared her insights as a yoga practitioner, care partner, and AFTD volunteer in an interview on the Yoga Magic podcast.

In the interview, Esannason recalled how her mother developed FTD symptoms while she was navigating college and starting her career. As Esannason told host Ashley Sondergaard, her mother’s diagnosis was a “whirlwind” event for her family, and she compared the experience of the disease’s progression to slowly ripping off a bandage.

“You always tell your kids that you’re going to pull the bandage off really quickly so that it will only hurt for a second,” Esannason said. “But I feel like with my mom’s illness, it was like peeling the bandage off as slowly as possible so we could see all the transitions and unpleasant things that come with her disease.”

The diagnosis came not long after the birth of Esannason’s daughter, compounding the difficulties involved in managing her own post-partum symptoms while caring for her baby. Additionally, Esannason knew she would not have her mother by her side as she raised her daughter. Between raising a newborn and being a care partner for her mother, finding time for self-care was extremely difficult.

Esannason eventually found support through AFTD, including information on FTD and opportunities to catch up on self-care through Comstock Respite Grants. She became an AFTD volunteer and later an Ambassador.

When AFTD asked if Esannason was interested in sharing her insights as a yoga instructor with other care partners, she accepted the offer, but, as she noted to Sondergaard, she knew she had to approach this class differently.

“Most care partners for someone with an early-onset form of dementia are in it full-time; 9-5, 24/7,” Esannason told Sondergaard. “I had to shift the way I thought about yoga. It’s not [feasible for a] care partner to roll out a yoga mat and spend an hour and a half doing a full yoga practice. It’s a luxury for us to be able to do that.”

Esannason reconceptualized yoga for the care partner session, emphasizing the “little tools” that could be carried away from a yoga mat and used anywhere to reground oneself amid anxiety, depression, or frustration. Esannason noted that increased body awareness and breathing exercises, for example, could help relieve stress during a doctor’s appointment. Practices like these don’t necessarily remove the stressors caused by FTD and its symptoms, she said; however, they can help care partners better control how they react to them.

Esannason discusses some of the tips she has shared with care partners:

• Taking Note: Pause for a moment to practice body awareness by noting what’s going on and how you feel. Do you feel any tension or have an anxious pit in your stomach? Identify what’s going on and what you currently need – for example, if you feel ungrounded or light-headed, try sitting down and resting for a moment.
• Breathing Exercises: It can be hard to take your mind out of a negative place as a care partner, but breathing exercises can help you focus on other things. Take a moment to put yourself mentally in your favorite place, where you’re most relaxed – focus on the familiar sights, sounds, and smells that wait for you there. Take a few deep breaths while in your favorite place before continuing with your day.
• Squeezing a Lemon: Another way care partners can shift their focus is through a tactile breathing exercise known as “squeezing a lemon.” Take a deep breath, squeezing your fist to “juice” the lemon. Once you’re ready, exhale the breath to release the let go of the juice from the lemon.

Sondergaard and Esannason both said that while pursuing self-care practices could lead to feelings of guilt, care partners only become better at their role by looking after themselves. Additionally, because many techniques can be done almost anywhere and in a short period, care partners don’t need to stress about not having any spare time.

Esannason said that care partners can also turn to others who have experienced FTD in their lives. These people can lend insights on everything from managing the disease to caring for oneself on the FTD journey. Just having others who understand what you are going through can be a powerful tool in and of itself, she said.

“There is such power in connection and community,” Esannason said. “I think that’s one of the tools people can put in their toolboxes – finding community, finding connections.”

Corey Esannason hosted an AFTD Educational Webinar in 2020 to demonstrate ways care partners could cope with the stress of the FTD journey through mindfulness exercises and more.

AFTD offers Comstock Respite Grants to help care partners meet their needs while caring for a loved one at home. For eligibility requirements, examples of services covered, and grant stipulations, visit the Respite Grant page.